First-aid kit and stretcher



Sept' 18, 1945. z. T. EGARDNER 2,385,067

FIRST AID KI T AND STRETCHER Filed April 2, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept-18, 1945 z. T. EGARDNER FIRST AID KIT AND STRETCHER Filed April 2, 19452 Sheets-Sheet 2 www@ 2% zaden/Z324 fav/men Patented Sept. 18, 1945UNITED vSTATIS PATENT OFFICE FIRST-Am KIT AND STRETCHER Zachaeus T.Egardner, Chicago, Ill. Application April 2, 19143, serial No. 481,635

4 Claims.

This invention relates to rst aid kits and stretchers and its principalobject is to provide comprehensive means for supplying rst aid as Wellas comfortable convenient safe means of transport to injured, maimed,ill or temporarily incapacitated persons. A further object is to providea device of this type that is of sturdy construction, being at the sametime comfortable in use, of few parts, compact in assembly, that 1scapable of being readily assembled even by persons without experienceand that is conveniently transportable requiring but a very small spacein transit and that is of light weight.

A still further object is to provide a novel first aid kit and stretcherthat is very readily handled by one person in its folded position and bytwo persons, or more if desired, when in service. A still further objectis to provide a novel rst aid kit and stretcher that in use affordsample protection to the user against inclement weather when in use as astretcher and that includes effective jolt-cushioning means so desirablein case of shock always present in accident cases; that affords noveland comfortable means of lifting as well as transporting a personsuffering an accident or injury and that includes means for safelysupporting the limbs temporarily during the transit period so thatexcess bleeding is often avoided and further displacement or strain tosprained',

dislocated or broken parts oi the body prevented-ewhich might ordinarilyoccur while the user is being moved as from the point of accident to anambulance, hospital or to his home.

A still further object is to provide in a device of this type containermeans for rst aid supplies such as bandages, splints and other materialusually required quickly in personal injury cases including surgicalinstruments, etc., etc. A still further object is to provide acombination first aid kit and stretcher that when not in use may bereadily collapsed or dismantled and disposed in a bag or like containerfor convenient out of the way location in transportation.

A still further object is to provide a device of this type including astretcher portion for carrying a person selectively either in a veryflexible support adapted to sag materially with the weight of the bodywhich is desirable in certain types of injury cases, or which supportmay be instantly made taut and relatively unyielding in its support ofthe body which is desirable in cases of different nature.

A still further object is to provide a rst aid kit and stretcher whichin assembled position and in use and bearing the Weight of a person isthereby automatically locked against accidental displacement of any ofits parts regardless of the movements of the attendants carrying thedevice or of their possible lack of harmony in motion thus insuring safecarriage.

A further object is to provide novel means for spreading apart thehandles of the stretcher While affording support for a limb of theoccupant in raised position which means is capable of use also as asplint or traction splint on other occasions. A further object is toprovide a iirst aid kit and stretcher wherein the stretcher elementprovided with handles may, upon removal of same, be adapted for use asan ordinary flexiv ble body lifting device or blanket capable of readyapplication to and lifting of a body from the ground to a point ofelevation such as a waiting ambulance or the like.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter` pointed out and the invention therefore consists in thefeatures of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement ofparts as will be exemplified in the constructiony hereinafter described,and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the followingclaims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the variouspossible illustrative ernbodiments of this invention,

Fig. l1 is a view in elevation of the type of bag or envelope employedas a container for the first aid kit and stretcher when the same is notin USE.

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of the first aid kit and stretcher incompact inoperative form ready for disposition in its container.

Fig. 3 is a view of the lirst aid kit and stretcher in partially openposition.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the invention in Wide open position,the carrying poles being shown ln dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a view of one of the sectional carryingpoles employed, thesections being separated.

Fig. 6 is a ViewV of` the combined rst aid kit and stretcher inelevational perspective with one pole spreader shown in place.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the inventionillustrating possible applications.

Fig. 8 is a view of a splint employed illustrating one applicationthereof.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a traction splint generally employed upon thearm, and

Fig. 10.is a like view of the same type of sectional traction splint ofthe length generally used upon the leg. Y

Like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The reference numeral I denotes the stretcher which is formed preferablyof a double thickness of material such as canvas, fabric or the like,suitably lined to provide warmth, which is stout and pliable and whichincludes the bed portion 2 and the wing or cover portion 3, the twothicknesses of material being stitched together along the lines 4,.thebed portion being formed along each longitudinal edge with a pair ofcounterpart sleeves 5, 5, the sleeves of each edge being separated by acut-out portion 6 in the matefree ends of the body straps 8 now beingbrought together about the body of the person and tied and the straps 9and IIJ tied together to secure said cover and bed together againstaccidental separation as might otherwise happen in the event of a highwind in the openr or when the device is being carried in partly verticalposition as when descending a stairway or the like. It will be notedthat the thongs I2 prevent the poles I3, I4 being withdrawn from the bedunintentionally although the weight of the body upon the .bed will ofitself prevent disconnection of the parts of the device.

rial, the portion 6 contiguous to the cover 3 being Y complimentary to acut-out portion 'I formed in said cover.

Stitched or otherwise secured to the bed 2 with their ends free are thebody straps 8, here shown of said cover, the bed 2 with cover 3 servingas protection for the user against the weather or for warmth as in thecase of shock, said straps serving also to prevent accidental removal ofsaid cover from over-the-bed position.

The bed 2 is formed with eyelets I I, one at each corner, to receive theleather or like thongs I2 carried in perforations spaced inwardly fromthe ends of each section of a carrying pole, each pole includingsections I3, I4, the section I4 having a reduced termination I5 adaptedto be snugly received in the socket IS, preferably formed with an airvent Ia, whereby said pole sections are secured together, said sectionshaving been introduced into remote ends of a pair of sleeves 5, 5 andthereafter said thongs having been passed through said eyelets II andtheir ends tied together to secure said bed and poles together, saidpoles beyond said bed forming handles. The cover 3 preferably integralwith the bed 2 is adapted to be moved toward and away therefrom intoclosed and open position selectively along the line I8, the closedposition being had when the device is to be folded and rolled up intoinoperative position or when the bed is occupied by a person desiringthe warmth and protection of the cover. Contiguous to said bed saidcover is formed with opposed twin pockets I 9, I9 of deep structurehaving mouths at their relatively remote ends in the shorter transverseedges of the cover, one of the transverse lines 4 of stitching forming aclosed end for each of said pockets, similar pockets 20, disposed alongthe free longitudinal edge of said cover being also provided.

Located intermediate the pairs of pockets I9, I9 and 20, 20 along thelongitudinal central portion of cover 3 are' the pockets 2l, 2|preferably shallower than the aforesaid pairs of pockets and each beingprovided with a flap 22 adapted to form a closure for its mouth whenfastened down thereupon as shown, said flaps also forming indicators inthe folded rolled inoperative position of the first aid kit andstretcher enabling a person to instantly locate the position of a pocketwith certainty, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

With the bed and cover upon the ground or other support an injured orincapacitated person may be gently placedy upon the bed 2, the poles I3,I4 beingv in the marginal sleeves 5. The cover 3 is now moved or closeddown upon the bed and body of the person as protection therefor, the

The free ends of the said poles protruding from the bed ends formhandles and are grasped by two persons, one at each end while third andfourth persons, if need be, one upon each side may manually grasp theportions of said poles exposed through the cut-out portions 6, 'I ofsaid bed and cover. While the weight of the person being carried by thedevice will now cause the bed to sag more or less this in many cases isdesirable for the comfort of the person.

However in some cases where it is desirable to keep the bed taut thismay be done by applying wooden or metal spreaders 23 to the free ends ofopposite poles at points close to the bed as shown in Fig. 6, one ateach end of the bed, said spreaders being of elongated bar structurewith deep notches 24 extending longitudinally and centrally from eachend to snugly receive the pole ends and keep same positively spreadapart a predetermined space.

Frequently it is difficult to lift an injured person from the ground toan ambulance or the like or to get him upon a stretcher without causinghim further pain or possible additional injury and in such cases thepoles may be withdrawn from the bed sleeves with the cover folded downupon the bed and the device becomes a blanket which may be readilyworked beneath the prostrate form of the person by a rst air attendantor other person as the blanket so formed may be readily folded andmanipulated until it is brought under the person when he may be readilylifted by this blanket to the point desired with little or no additionaldiscomfort.

Each bar 23 in addition to its use as a spreader is also vadapted foruse as a splint for all cases of ordinary splinting, or said bars may besecured together in adjusted positions with pins or bolts and wing-nuts2l, two bars being used to provide a traction splint to be used in allcases of xed traction splinting, or three bars may be used as shown inFig. 10 in extended form as traction splints in cases of leg fractureand in other instances. Each bar 23 is formedwith perforations 25 in astraight line centrally disposed and each is also formed with offsideperforations 25a, two in number, disposed upon the same side of the lineof perforations 25 to permit two bars to be secured together at rightangles or otherwise by fasteners 2l, one bar being here used, in Fig. 7,as a spreader and the other rigidly supported in upright position toprovide leg support through the medium of a cord 28 connected to anotherbar 23 secured to an injured limb 30.

This procedure is followed in case of traction splinting to maintain thelimb in elevation while a person is being transported upon thestretcher. When not in use as a stretcher the sectional poles I3, I4 arewithdrawn from the bed sleeves, the stretcher folded and rolled up intothe position shown in Fig. 2, the pole sections are then securedtogether by the thongs I2 and placed back into the sleeves, the bodystraps 8 are now used to secure the cover and bed together in rolledposition and the demounted device may be placed in the container or bag3| and the open end of same then closed and tied shut with thong 32.When not in use the splints or spreaders are conveniently carried in thepockets I9, I9 and 20, 20. In Fig. 7 it will be noted that the bars 23are shown as stretcher spreaders and as means for supporting a limb inelevated position.

As numerous possible embodiments might [be made of the above invention,and as various changes might 'be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

2. In a rst aid kit and stretcher, a bed, handles therefor, and a pairof connected notched bars, one of said bars engaging and spreading saidhandles in its notched portions, the other bar extending upwardly fromsaid last named :'bar to support the limb of a person upon said bed.

3. In a first aid kit and stretcher, a ilexible bed having sleevesformed in its edges, poles removably received in said sleeves forminghandles, and two notched bars adjustably connected for disposal atdifferent angles to each other, the notched portions of one bar engagingsaid handles to spread same, a notched portion of the other bar adaptedto anchor a cord to provide means for support for a leg of a patientcarried on the stretcher.

4. In a rst aid kit and stretcher including handles, notched bars, saidbars being formed with a line of spaced centrally disposed perforationsand with perforations offset with respect thereto, pins for disposalselectively in said notches to connect said bars together at differentangles, the notched portions of one bar engaging said handles to spreadsame, and a cord secured at one end in a notch in a second bar tosupport a patients limb carried on the stretcher.

ZACHAEUS T. EGARDNER.

